What a week! If only you knew

I lost a good friend. A friend I’d had for the past 5 years. We’ve been through a lot together, laughter, tears, ups and downs, kids growing up. And all it took to break that bond was for one party to only [...]]]>

Paris's home for this week

What a week! If only you knew

I lost a good friend. A friend I’d had for the past 5 years. We’ve been through a lot together, laughter, tears, ups and downs, kids growing up. And all it took to break that bond was for one party to only see their side of the story, and an unwillingness to listen to an explanation.

Joe came back. Last Sunday, apparently for good. I managed to tick him off too. I asked if he was bringing child support money with him. It seems that’s an area we’re supposed to tiptoe around. Apparently.

I’m done tiptoeing. I’m adult and I reserve the right to ask questions about adult issues!

Blues Festival - sky before the storm

I worked at the Nothin’ But the Blues Festival. It was hot, humid, buggy and loads of fun. MCCA had a booth, giving information to festival-goers on our programs and services. I’m always surprised at how many people really do need our help, and was able to give many referrals. Three hours on Friday night and nine hours on Saturday. I did have someone to relieve me on Saturday afternoon, but she had to look after her children. The music was great, the atmosphere was superb and the weather was bearable. Except for the rain on Saturday – which came and went fairly quickly.

In the photo of the sky before the storm, you can see the really dark clouds hovering in front of the puffy white clouds, it really was an amazing sight to see.

After the storm, across the lake

After the storm had passed, the clouds were once again white and fluffy, though the rain continued – very softly – you can see it falling into the lake in this photo on the left.

Something strange happened. There was an Australian blues singer. Sugarcane Collins, who started off the lineup on Saturday. After his set, he was in the Blues Blowtorch Society tent, so I thought I’d go and show some Aussie hospitality and introduce myself. He told me I needed to work on my accent. How rude!

I was around a great bunch of people. I met Janet DuBeads last year, and she saved me a spot for my tent for this year! On the other side was a guy and his daughter who had driven up from Kentucky to do the festival. The CIMADA guys were on the other side of them, Jim, Oscar, Evelyn and Belinda. We had a race against time when the rain started and Janet’s jewelry needed to be covered up!

Grrrrr!

I’ve only been to the Blues Festival for the past two years, but I happen to know that this guy is a regular (please excuse the portapotties!) The Zoo Lady (who paints faces) wouldn’t let him out of her tent until it stopped raining, and the balloon guy (girl? sorry!) also made him a tail. He came by Janet’s booth with his wife and children. It’s a very familiar atmosphere at the Blues Festival. Except for Sugarcane Collins.

Paris went off to Girl Scout camp. Just the preparation is an experience! Beyond purchasing a just-the-right-size suitcase (with wheels), we also had to fit into said suitcase a veritable assortment of clothing, including enough underwear to last a month, three pairs of shoes (including one pair that can get VERY muddy), and a 50’s rock’n'roll outfit. The sleeping bag provided an epic adventure in sleeping bag rolling up, and everything had to be marked with the (full) name, thank you very much, and checked off a checklist. The checklist was packed, so everything can be checked off against it for the return journey.

Besides the obvious … clothes. swimsuits, towels (one for swimming, one for showering), etc, we also had to pack something to read, something to play, something to write in, some stamps to send letters home and allergy meds. I think that’s all!

And now it’s raining. Poor kid. Well, no, not poor kid really – she’s probably having a ball and I’m the one sitting here worrying that she’s going to get wet, that she’s going to need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, that she’s going to miss us, that she’s going to get lonely, that she’ll want to come home, that she’ll forget to brush her teeth, that she left something behind …… oh heck, she’ll be just fine! Please tell me she will.

If only you knew …

Usually, I forget to come back to the blog and label the pics. I’m [...]]]> These pics are all posted automatically using PixelPipe, through Picasa. Basically, any time I upload pics to my Picasa album, they also upload to my blog and my Facebook page (possibly my MySpace page too, but definitely not my Twitter account! LOL!)

Usually, I forget to come back to the blog and label the pics. I’m trying to change that!  This time I do notice that the pics are all outu of order, but we are big girls now, and we can deal with a bit of disorganization, right? Right!

So, this first pic is the Recollections Room at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal. They play some great music – Soukous, reggae, really anything “new world-ish”, the children dance to the music, and their reflections make pretty patterns on the screen. It took me a while to get the right camera settings (don’t talk to me about shutter speed and apertures. I just don’t get it!), but the results are wonderful!

DeAnna Belz of the Ecology Action Center, and Ciel with her prize bag! She won an award for a calendar competition. The drawing is further down.

Ciel and Alyssa – BFF!

The girls just find these 3D pin things amazing! I remember when I was young you could buy ones that were hand-sized, but these monsters are full body sized!

First snow of 2008 – November 30. Superstition has it that we will receive 30 days of snow this winter (as the snow started on the 30th)

just had to get this one – kiwano fruit. Doesn’t it look yummy?

Snow covers the “new” car – 2 days after I took it through the car wash!

Children’s Discovery Museum. Soy beans and cow butts. See the relationship?

Deanna Belz and Ciel. This is Ciel’s contribution to the Ecology Action Center 2009 calendar. Her drawing depicts the new plant pot recycling program.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

I think the Alison Moyet/Yazoo version had more feeling than the Flying Pickets. Though the Flying Pickets were certainly different!, and their version certainly has it’s place in the annals of music history. I always wondered if they were some kind of a comedic version of The Nylons – but [...]]]> All I needed for another day

I think the Alison Moyet/Yazoo version had more feeling than the Flying Pickets. Though the Flying Pickets were certainly different!, and their version certainly has it’s place in the annals of music history. I always wondered if they were some kind of a comedic version of The Nylons – but there I go reminiscing again ……..